Research Skills & Analysis Lecture 4 LIB116 PDF

Research Skills &Analysis LIB116 Lecture : Four Associ. Prof. Emam Omar Physics Department Faculty of Physics New Mansoura University 20/10/2024  Scientific Method The scientific m...

Research Skills &Analysis LIB116 Lecture : Four Associ. Prof. Emam Omar Physics Department Faculty of Physics New Mansoura University 20/10/2024  Scientific Method The scientific method is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions. Terminologies of scientific method 1- Methodology: refers to the methods, techniques, and procedures that are employed in implementing your research plan (design). 2- Relevance: Ensure that your study adds to the existing body of knowledge, bridges current gaps. 3- Availability of data: Before finalizing the topic, make sure that data are available. 20/10/2024 22  Scientific Method 4- Hypothesis : The word hypothesis is made up of two Greek roots: Hypo + thesis = Hypothesis ‘Hypo’ means subject to the verification and ‘Thesis’ means statement about solution of a problem. Hypothesis offers a solution of the problem that is to be verified empirically and based on some rationale. 20/10/2024 33 The Scientific Method Steps 20/10/2024  Step 1: Ask a question (Choosing a research topic) A research question is a question that a study or research project aims to answer. Scientists use research question to identify and define the aim of their study and analysis. This question often addresses an issue or a problem, which, through analysis and interpretation of data, is answered in the study’s conclusion. 20/10/2024 55  Step 1: Ask a question (Choosing a research topic) Characteristics of a research question: I- Feasible: The question is within a researcher's abilities and resources to examine, collect data and answer. II- Interesting: Keeping in mind peers who review this research project, researchers create research questions on fascinating topics. III- Novel: A research question provides new insights and addresses a gap in knowledge, or a challenge in a particular field. 20/10/2024 66  Step 1: Ask a question (Choosing a research topic) Characteristics of a research question: IV- Ethical: Ethics is norms for conduct that differentiate between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. Example: When conducting research on human subjects, minimize harms and risks and maximize benefits; respect human privacy. 20/10/2024 77  Step 1: Ask a question (Choosing a research topic) Characteristics of a research question: When conducting research on animals, show proper respect and care for animals when using them in research. Do not conduct unnecessary or poorly designed animal experiments. V- Relevant: Researchers choose topics related to their industry and the public's interest, leading to visible changes in society. 20/10/2024 88 Step 2: Do Background Research The background of the study is the first section of a research paper and gives information surrounding the research topic. Background research is known as the research that gives you some introductory knowledge about a topic. The important of background research I- Introduce the reader to the importance of the topic being studied. II- Places the problem into a particular context that defines the parameters of what is to be investigated. 20/10/2024 99 Step 2: Do Background Research III- Provide any theories, concepts, terms, and ideas that may be unfamiliar to the reader and will require you to provide any additional explanation. IV- Find historical information, trends, agreements and disagreements related to the topic, and uncover gaps in your knowledge (Review of Literature). A literature review is a survey of the previous research published on a specific topic. 20/10/2024 10 10 Step 2: Do Background Research The review should include a comparison and contrast of different studies. Discussing the controversial aspects helps to identify the main gaps that need to be worked upon. Where to find sources for the background research and literature review Books Internet Journals Archives Reports Records… 20/10/2024 11 11  Step 3: Construct Hypothesis A hypothesis is an educated guess (‫ )تخمين مدروس‬about how things work. It is an attempt to answer your question with an explanation that can be tested. A good hypothesis allows you to then make a prediction The simplest form for hypothesis is "If _____[I do this] _____, then _____[this]_____ will happen." Ex: If I water plants daily ,then they will grow faster 20/10/2024 12 12  Step 3: Construct Hypothesis The language of hypotheses always discusses variables. Variables can be objects, events, whatever is observable. There are two types of variables: independent and dependent. Independent variables are the ones that you change for your experiment Dependent variables are the ones that you can only observe. In the above example, our independent variable is how often we water the plants and the dependent variable is how well they grow. 20/10/2024 13 13  Step 3: Construct Hypothesis Types of of hypotheses I- Simple hypothesis A simple hypothesis suggests only the relationship between two variables: one independent and one dependent. Examples: If you stay up late, then you feel tired the next day. Turning off your phone makes it charge faster. 20/10/2024 14 14  Step 3: Construct Hypothesis II- Complex hypothesis A complex hypothesis suggests the relationship between more than two variables, for example, two independents and one dependent, or vice versa. Example: Older people who live in rural areas are happier than younger people who live in rural areas. Two independents variables (Older & younger people ) One20/10/2024 dependents variable (happy) 15 15  Step 3: Construct Hypothesis III- Null hypothesis A null hypothesis, abbreviated as H0, suggests that there is no relationship between variables. the Null Hypothesis says there is no difference, change, or effect. Example: There is no difference in plant growth when using either bottled water or tap water. 20/10/2024 16 16  Step 3: Construct Hypothesis Examples for null hypothesis: 20/10/2024 17 17  Step 3: Construct Hypothesis IV- Alternative hypothesis An alternative hypothesis, abbreviated as H1 or HA. It states the opposite of the null hypothesis, so that one and only one must be true. Example: Plants grow better with bottled water than tap water. 20/10/2024 18 18  Step 4: Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment Your experiment tests whether your prediction is accurate and thus your hypothesis is supported or not. It is important for your experiment to be a fair test. You conduct a fair test by making sure that you change only one factor at a time while keeping all other conditions the same. You should also repeat your experiments several times to make sure that the first results weren't just an accident. 20/10/2024 19 19 Step 4: Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment 20/10/2024 20 20  Step 5: Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion Once your experiment is complete, you collect your measurements and analyze them to see if they support your hypothesis or not. Scientists often find that their predictions were not accurate and their hypothesis was not supported. In such cases they will go back and construct a new hypothesis and prediction based on the information they learned during their experiment. If your hypothesis was supported, we will communicate the results of their experiment. 20/10/2024 21 21  Step 6: Communicate Your Results To complete your science fair project you will communicate your results to others in a final report. Professional scientists do almost exactly the same thing by publishing their final report in a scientific journal or by presenting their results on a poster or during a talk at a scientific meeting. 20/10/2024 22 22 Writing a research proposal 20/10/2024 Writing a research proposal A research proposal is your PLAN. It describes in detail your study. The objective in writing a proposal is to describe what you will do, why it should be done, how you will do it and what you expect will result. 20/10/2024 24 24 Writing a research proposal Basic Components 1. Title of the Research It should be summarized, descriptive informative and catchy. Titles should clearly indicate the independent and dependent variables. The title provides the "key words" for the classification and indexing of the project. Too brief. 20/10/2024 25 25 Writing a research proposal 2. Abstract It is a brief summary of approximately 300 words. It should summarize all the central elements of the protocol, for example the rationale, objectives, methods, populations, time frame, and expected outputs. 3. Introduction (Background) The introduction provides the readers with the background information. It should have; Topic area Research question Significance to knowledge 20/10/2024 26 26 Writing a research proposal 4. Review of Literature You need to report the majority of published study in the area of your research topic. 5. Aims The aim is about what you hope to do, your overall intention in the project. 6. Objectives The objectives are the specific steps you will take to achieve your aim. 20/10/2024 27 27 Writing a research proposal The Aim is the WHAT of the research, and the objective is the HOW. 7. Hypotheses (The constructed) 8. Methodology (Testing the hypothesis) The methodology explains the procedures that will be used to achieve the objectives. 9. Gantt chart/Timetable Gantt chart is an overview of tasks/proposed activities and20/10/2024 a time frame for the same. 28 28 Writing a research proposal You put weeks, days or months at one side, and the tasks at the other. 20/10/2024 29 29 Writing a research proposal 10. Budget The budget translates project activities into monetary terms. 20/10/2024 30 30  Writing a research proposal 11. Bibliographic References A bibliography is a list of all of the sources you have used in the process of researching your work. In general, a bibliography should include: - The authors' names, - The titles of the works, - The names and locations of the companies that published - - The dates of published, - The page numbers of your sources DO NOT include references in your abstract. 20/10/2024 31 31  Writing a research proposal Citing References in text: 1-Number references system Identify references in text, tables and legends by numerals in parenthesis e.g. , [2,3] or [3-6]. 20/10/2024 32 32  Writing a research proposal Example 20/10/2024 33 33  Writing a research proposal 2- Author and Year system Inside the text, you state only the AUTHOR+ YEAR. Full details of the source are given in a reference list ( bibliography) at the end of the text. Example 20/10/2024 34 34 Writing a research proposal 20/10/2024 35 35 Writing a research proposal 20/10/2024 36 36 Writing a research proposal References styles 1- Chicago style references Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Journal Name Volume Number (Year Published): Page Numbers. Example Hogrefe, Pearl. “Legal rights of Tudor women and the circumvention by men and women.” The Sixteenth Century Journal (1972): 97-105. 20/10/2024 37 37 Writing a research proposal References styles 2- Harvard style references Last name, First initial. Year published. Article title. Journal, Volume (Issue), Page(s). Example Hogrefe, P. 1972. Legal rights of Tudor women and the circumvention by men and women. The Sixteenth Century Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp.97-105. 20/10/2024 38 38 Writing a research proposal References styles 3- APA style references Last name, First initial. (Year published). Article title. Journal, Volume (Issue), Page(s). Example Hogrefe, P. (1972). Legal rights of Tudor women and the circumvention by men and women. The Sixteenth Century Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1, pp.97-105. 20/10/2024 39 39 Writing a research proposal References styles 20/10/2024 40 40  Good Research 1-Objectives should be clear. 2-Research question properly phrased. Importance and of the study should clearly define. 3- Strong relevent literature review. 4-Methodology should be reliable or valid. 5- Data collection, coding, analyzing and interpreting done with care. 20/10/2024 41 41  Good Research 6- Ability to generlize homogeneous population. 7- Facts are fairly presented to the reader. 8- Research should cover the objective. 20/10/2024 42 42